The Movie Review and Discussion Thread

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by jvince

Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Synopsis: A handsome, rich, shallow man develops an unexpected relationship with a boy he meets while trying to pick up another boy's mother.
Running Time: 101 minutes

Directors: Chris Weitz (The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Paul Weitz (American Pie)
Writers: Nick Hornby (High Fidelity), Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), Chris Weitz (Antz), and Paul Weitz (In Good Company)
Stars: Hugh Grant (Love Actually), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense), and Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener)

After watching the wonderfully charming "About a Boy," you wouldn't believe the brothers responsible for "New Moon" and "Little Fockers" are the same people who directed this film. It's just completely baffling that the minds behind such works devoid of creativity and cinematic magic could produce such a sweet and cute little movie. There is nothing new to be seen here - the characters are familiar and the plot is formulaic. But somehow, the Weitzs manage to do to "About a Boy" what DeBlois and Sanders did to "How to Train Your Dragon" - take something generic and turn it into something fresh. The cast gets the job done, the tone is perfect, and the drama, romance, and comedy are all adequately balanced. While it may not be rip-roaringly funny - save for a few laugh-out-loud-worthy scenes sprinkled in - it will certainly put a nice grin on your face all throughout its running time. And while the romance may be a bit lacking and under-developed, know that the movie is, first and foremost, about a boy and a man's unlikely friendship. "About a Boy" is an irresistibly lovable little film, warts and all.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 5

I'm a big fan of Nick Hornby and this is probably my favorite adaptation. The book is better and goes into more depth, but I'm still happy with this version. Grant's technique for meeting women is pretty funny.

[Batman1980]

Youth in Revolt 4/5
Michael Cera was actually pretty good in this one and I think I like Portia Doubleday a bit, too. Will definitely have to get it on blu-ray at some point, if I can find it for the right price.

[Show spoiler]I still can't believe he got the girl after all the crap he pulls throughout the movie but I guess that's why it happened in a movie and not real life.

[CZAR]

Originally Posted by volcomsocal

John Q - 2002

Netflixed it online so pq and aq were irrelevant to me.

It was pretty good entertainment to me. Not great, not bad. Denzel has done better.

3/5

I love this film and its one of my favorite Denzel films and to me its very underrated. Got Em!!

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by jvince

Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Synopsis: A handsome, rich, shallow man develops an unexpected relationship with a boy he meets while trying to pick up another boy's mother.
Running Time: 101 minutes

Directors: Chris Weitz (The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Paul Weitz (American Pie)
Writers: Nick Hornby (High Fidelity), Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), Chris Weitz (Antz), and Paul Weitz (In Good Company)
Stars: Hugh Grant (Love Actually), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense), and Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener)

After watching the wonderfully charming "About a Boy," you wouldn't believe the brothers responsible for "New Moon" and "Little Fockers" are the same people who directed this film. It's just completely baffling that the minds behind such works devoid of creativity and cinematic magic could produce such a sweet and cute little movie. There is nothing new to be seen here - the characters are familiar and the plot is formulaic. But somehow, the Weitzs manage to do to "About a Boy" what DeBlois and Sanders did to "How to Train Your Dragon" - take something generic and turn it into something fresh. The cast gets the job done, the tone is perfect, and the drama, romance, and comedy are all adequately balanced. While it may not be rip-roaringly funny - save for a few laugh-out-loud-worthy scenes sprinkled in - it will certainly put a nice grin on your face all throughout its running time. And while the romance may be a bit lacking and under-developed, know that the movie is, first and foremost, about a boy and a man's unlikely friendship. "About a Boy" is an irresistibly lovable little film, warts and all.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 5

Good review. Thanks

[Al_The_Strange]

Initially, I thought I’d watch the next greatest movie-of-the-week “Control” on the LoveFilm instant service. Then I saw I had to pay extra for it. I decided to cheap out and wait for the physical copy.

For now, my next greatest rental is “The Box.”

For the first half, the film certainly had my attention. The whole spiel with Frank Langella presenting this box with the button (pushing it kills a total stranger, but with the reward of one million dollars); it’s a brilliant set-up for a brilliant piece of sci-fi. The moral and philosophical implications can be quite thought-provoking. It initially had a “Twilight Zone” vibe that seemed very promising.

At the 30 minute mark, I felt the movie could have ended right there and I would have been happy. But the movie throws out shedloads of clues, mysteries, motifs, and other details that make me go “WTF?” and the movie kept on going. Slowly. Without offering many straightforward answers. By the time answers became apparent, I found myself rather disinterested (and perhaps somewhat confused). Ultimately, I felt that the movie strayed way too far from the initial premise; it became far more about this bizarre conspiracy (government, supernatural, both, I don’t know what!) rather than the box itself. I also felt that this film was a little overly-serious and creepy, almost to the point of becoming pretentious. Throughout the middle, it turned out more like an “X-Files” episode, and I became indifferent.

But then the ending made up for most of it, presenting a new situation that perfectly connected with earlier events and drove the story into a more profound and wicked conclusion. By the end, I was fairly satisfied, despite what quibbles I have.

Overall I’d say it’s a mystery on a higher level than “Knowing,” but not quite as deep or intense as “Triangle” or any David Lynch movie. For that matter, a lot of stuff in “The Box” is similar to Richard Kelly’s other movie “Donnie Darko.” There are plenty of weird things in “The Box” that will leave you scratching your head and struggling to connect the dots. I felt that much of it was superficially tacked onto the initial setup, but it does have its moments. And of course, the characters aren’t too bad.

The film is adequately made with solid photography. Acting is a bit of a mixed bag; Cameron Diaz and James Marsden seem about as overly serious as the film itself, but Frank Langella is the man! Writing is pretty good, for what it’s worth. Production value is decent. I didn’t like the music score much at all.

3.5/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5, intellectual impact: 2.5/5) There's a chance that, if I view it again, I might like it better.

Recommendation: Rent it.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Steve46

I'm a big fan of Nick Hornby and this is probably my favorite adaptation. The book is better and goes into more depth, but I'm still happy with this version. Grant's technique for meeting women is pretty funny.

I've been wanting to check out High Fidelity. Heard it's also a good adaptation.

I'll be posting my review of Rubber later.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by jvince

I've been wanting to check out High Fidelity. Heard it's also a good adaptation.

I'll be posting my review of Rubber later.

Yeah it's good.

I have the UK version of Fever Pitch too. Much better than the Red Sox version.

[AKORIS]

Originally Posted by jvince

Genre: Drama / Comedy / Romance
Synopsis: A handsome, rich, shallow man develops an unexpected relationship with a boy he meets while trying to pick up another boy's mother.
Running Time: 101 minutes

Directors: Chris Weitz (The Twilight Saga: New Moon), Paul Weitz (American Pie)
Writers: Nick Hornby (High Fidelity), Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), Chris Weitz (Antz), and Paul Weitz (In Good Company)
Stars: Hugh Grant (Love Actually), Nicholas Hoult (A Single Man), Toni Collette (The Sixth Sense), and Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener)

After watching the wonderfully charming "About a Boy," you wouldn't believe the brothers responsible for "New Moon" and "Little Fockers" are the same people who directed this film. It's just completely baffling that the minds behind such works devoid of creativity and cinematic magic could produce such a sweet and cute little movie. There is nothing new to be seen here - the characters are familiar and the plot is formulaic. But somehow, the Weitzs manage to do to "About a Boy" what DeBlois and Sanders did to "How to Train Your Dragon" - take something generic and turn it into something fresh. The cast gets the job done, the tone is perfect, and the drama, romance, and comedy are all adequately balanced. While it may not be rip-roaringly funny - save for a few laugh-out-loud-worthy scenes sprinkled in - it will certainly put a nice grin on your face all throughout its running time. And while the romance may be a bit lacking and under-developed, know that the movie is, first and foremost, about a boy and a man's unlikely friendship. "About a Boy" is an irresistibly lovable little film, warts and all.

Rating: ***1/2 out of 5

+1 I thought that was an excellent film-- would love to see a blu-ray release-- my rating 4/5

[Batman1980]

My Sister's Keeper - 4.5/5
Excellent look into the life of a little girl who is dying and the family that has to suffer along with her. Lots of twists and turns along the way, Nick Cassevetes is one heck of a filmmaker
Planet 51 3.5/5
Human lands on a planet full of aliens living like it's the 50s in America, fun little ride filled with laughs and a bit of suspense.
I Love You, Beth Cooper 4/5
Much better than I expected it to be, Hayden was great in it and it was full of laughs and lots of fun moments, will be getting the blu-ray shortly
Bambi - 4/5
Phenomenal transfer considering the age of the movie, still a fun movie to watch after all these years, recommended for people of all ages as one of the most important animated films of all time.

[iam1bearcat]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

Initially, I thought I’d watch the next greatest movie-of-the-week “Control” on the LoveFilm instant service. Then I saw I had to pay extra for it. I decided to cheap out and wait for the physical copy.

For now, my next greatest rental is “The Box.”

[Show spoiler]For the first half, the film certainly had my attention. The whole spiel with Frank Langella presenting this box with the button (pushing it kills a total stranger, but with the reward of one million dollars); it’s a brilliant set-up for a brilliant piece of sci-fi. The moral and philosophical implications can be quite thought-provoking. It initially had a “Twilight Zone” vibe that seemed very promising.

At the 30 minute mark, I felt the movie could have ended right there and I would have been happy. But the movie throws out shedloads of clues, mysteries, motifs, and other details that make me go “WTF?” and the movie kept on going. Slowly. Without offering many straightforward answers. By the time answers became apparent, I found myself rather disinterested (and perhaps somewhat confused). Ultimately, I felt that the movie strayed way too far from the initial premise; it became far more about this bizarre conspiracy (government, supernatural, both, I don’t know what!) rather than the box itself. I also felt that this film was a little overly-serious and creepy, almost to the point of becoming pretentious. Throughout the middle, it turned out more like an “X-Files” episode, and I became indifferent.

But then the ending made up for most of it, presenting a new situation that perfectly connected with earlier events and drove the story into a more profound and wicked conclusion. By the end, I was fairly satisfied, despite what quibbles I have.

Overall I’d say it’s a mystery on a higher level than “Knowing,” but not quite as deep or intense as “Triangle” or any David Lynch movie. For that matter, a lot of stuff in “The Box” is similar to Richard Kelly’s other movie “Donnie Darko.” There are plenty of weird things in “The Box” that will leave you scratching your head and struggling to connect the dots. I felt that much of it was superficially tacked onto the initial setup, but it does have its moments. And of course, the characters aren’t too bad.

The film is adequately made with solid photography. Acting is a bit of a mixed bag; Cameron Diaz and James Marsden seem about as overly serious as the film itself, but Frank Langella is the man! Writing is pretty good, for what it’s worth. Production value is decent. I didn’t like the music score much at all.

3.5/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5, intellectual impact: 2.5/5) There's a chance that, if I view it again, I might like it better.

Recommendation: Rent it.

great review, Al!

sorry you didn't like it more, but 3.5/5 ain't too shabby
i, of course, love The Box and found it all incredibly interesting, but i do feel it went from "small story" to "wow. this suddenly, maybe got waaaaaaay to big for its own good" and maybe didn't need to be as expansive as it did (i like how Donnie Darko didn't expand past into a bit of absurdity) but it still clicked and worked really well for me.

could have done without Diaz's accent though

[SquidPuppet]

Originally Posted by Al_The_Strange

.

For now, my next greatest rental is “The Box.”

[Show spoiler]For the first half, the film certainly had my attention. The whole spiel with Frank Langella presenting this box with the button (pushing it kills a total stranger, but with the reward of one million dollars); it’s a brilliant set-up for a brilliant piece of sci-fi. The moral and philosophical implications can be quite thought-provoking. It initially had a “Twilight Zone” vibe that seemed very promising.

At the 30 minute mark, I felt the movie could have ended right there and I would have been happy. But the movie throws out shedloads of clues, mysteries, motifs, and other details that make me go “WTF?” and the movie kept on going. Slowly. Without offering many straightforward answers. By the time answers became apparent, I found myself rather disinterested (and perhaps somewhat confused). Ultimately, I felt that the movie strayed way too far from the initial premise; it became far more about this bizarre conspiracy (government, supernatural, both, I don’t know what!) rather than the box itself. I also felt that this film was a little overly-serious and creepy, almost to the point of becoming pretentious. Throughout the middle, it turned out more like an “X-Files” episode, and I became indifferent.

But then the ending made up for most of it, presenting a new situation that perfectly connected with earlier events and drove the story into a more profound and wicked conclusion. By the end, I was fairly satisfied, despite what quibbles I have.

Overall I’d say it’s a mystery on a higher level than “Knowing,” but not quite as deep or intense as “Triangle” or any David Lynch movie. For that matter, a lot of stuff in “The Box” is similar to Richard Kelly’s other movie “Donnie Darko.” There are plenty of weird things in “The Box” that will leave you scratching your head and struggling to connect the dots. I felt that much of it was superficially tacked onto the initial setup, but it does have its moments. And of course, the characters aren’t too bad.

The film is adequately made with solid photography. Acting is a bit of a mixed bag; Cameron Diaz and James Marsden seem about as overly serious as the film itself, but Frank Langella is the man! Writing is pretty good, for what it’s worth. Production value is decent. I didn’t like the music score much at all.

3.5/5 (entertainment: 3.5/5, story: 3.5/5, film: 3.5/5, intellectual impact: 2.5/5) There's a chance that, if I view it again, I might like it better.

Recommendation: [I]Rent it.[/I

]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

great review, Al!

[Show spoiler]sorry you didn't like it more, but 3.5/5 ain't too shabby
i, of course, love The Box and found it all incredibly interesting, but i do feel it went from "small story" to "wow. this suddenly, maybe got waaaaaaay to big for its own good" and maybe didn't need to be as expansive as it did (i like how Donnie Darko didn't expand past into a bit of absurdity) but it still clicked and worked really well for me.

could have done without Diaz's accent though

Couldnt finish it.

[Diesel]

Originally Posted by iam1bearcat

could have done without Diaz's accent though

Amen.



I'll have something to review in the next few days; aside from Armageddon the other day, I've been neglecting my movie watching and blazing through two video games to try and get them 100% complete before I sell them and I finished that up today.

One of the first things I watch will be The Patriot (never seen it).

[Q?]

Animal Factory

I liked the realism of this movie, nothing seemed exaggerated for theatrical effect, something that I always appreciate in movies in general. I was quite surprised Steve Buscemi directed this, makes me want to check out the rest of his movies. Grounded in realism and relying more on the actors performance, always a pleasure with Willem Dafoe.

8/10

Paris, Texas

I don't quite know what to say about this movie, I only know it did affect me. You have to be in the right mood as this is a very slow movie, like it's deliberately uninteresting though it wasn't. Great perfomances all around, Ry Cooder's guitar play set the perfect mood. What I also liked was that the camera wasn't busy, great composition of shots, the editing was also very relaxed. I thought the ending was very powerful, great performance from both Harry Dean Stanton & Nastassja Kinski, surprised about Kinski's performance as well, was wondering why she didn't become a big star. I was reflecting over my own life during the movie, as this was about a man facing his problems and coming to terms with it, good stuff. I think that is what the movie is about, reflecting your own life, plenty of time for that.

Another 8/10

The french Blu-ray was very strong, region B locked with optional french subtitles. Although there were some hiccups during the last part of the movie, it paused about two times, they didn't last long and luckily not annoying for me. There wasn't noticables scratches on it so I don't know if all the Blu-rays are like that, or if it's only on the PS3 they do like that or what.

[jvince]

Originally Posted by Steve46

Yeah it's good.

I have the UK version of Fever Pitch too. Much better than the Red Sox version.

I haven't seen the UK version, but I've seen the one with Barrymore and Fallon and I actually thought it was decent.

[Steve46]

Originally Posted by jvince

I haven't seen the UK version, but I've seen the one with Barrymore and Fallon and I actually thought it was decent.

It was decent enough.

The original dealt with soccer and had some great observations. Some of the things are things I have done myself, so I connected strongly with it.

[jhiggy23]

Originally Posted by Q?

Animal Factory

I liked the realism of this movie, nothing seemed exaggerated for theatrical effect, something that I always appreciate in movies in general. I was quite surprised Steve Buscemi directed this, makes me want to check out the rest of his movies. Grounded in realism and relying more on the actors performance, always a pleasure with Willem Dafoe.

8/10

Paris, Texas

I don't quite know what to say about this movie, I only know it did affect me. You have to be in the right mood as this is a very slow movie, like it's deliberately uninteresting though it wasn't. Great perfomances all around, Ry Cooder's guitar play set the perfect mood. What I also liked was that the camera wasn't busy, great composition of shots, the editing was also very relaxed. I thought the ending was very powerful, great performance from both Harry Dean Stanton & Nastassja Kinski, surprised about Kinski's performance as well, was wondering why she didn't become a big star. I was reflecting over my own life during the movie, as this was about a man facing his problems and coming to terms with it, good stuff. I think that is what the movie is about, reflecting your own life, plenty of time for that.

Another 8/10

The french Blu-ray was very strong, region B locked with optional french subtitles. Although there were some hiccups during the last part of the movie, it paused about two times, they didn't last long and luckily not annoying for me. There wasn't noticables scratches on it so I don't know if all the Blu-rays are like that, or if it's only on the PS3 they do like that or what.

Paris, Texas is an extraordinary film--one of the best of the 80s. The acting, directing, and writing are very powerful and memorable.

[tbizzle]

Originally Posted by jhiggy23

Paris, Texas is an extraordinary film--one of the best of the 80s. The acting, directing, and writing are very powerful and memorable.

Agreed, glad you liked it Q! Funny coincidence, I just popped that in today for a scene analysis paper I'm writing for my film class.

[lDlisturb3d]

im loving this years oscar picks. only issue i had was The Kings Speech winning best director!! That should of went to Fincher or Aronofsky. Clearly they did more.

[lDlisturb3d]

Oh i love i all the winners for Inception smacked the academy in the face by their comments about Nolan's masterful skills as a director.

[tbizzle]

Dr. Strangelove - 4/5

Enjoyed it more on the second viewing, but still not quite enough to buy it. Peter Sellers is awesome! Once again, I forgot he was the president

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